Probiotic microorganism inclusion in feeds is emerging as a popular
and potentially valuable tool in the practice of human and
veterinary medicine and animal production. Recent research work
has contributed to clarify the appropriate probiotic organisms,
appropriate doses and conditions that are potentially treatable
with probiotic strains in several farm animal species. The appealing properties of probiotics include the ability to reduce antibiotic use,
the apparently very high index of safety, and the public’s perception
about ‘natural’ or ‘alternative’ therapies. Probiotic organisms
must survive the acidic environment of the stomach and resist
to the digestion process, adhere to the intestinal lining, colonize
the intestinal tract and produce beneficial factors and inhibit
pathogens (disease-causing bacteria). Other properties such as
immunomodulation and modulation of metabolic activities are also
desirable. Probiotics must be identified at the strain level from
faecal and intestinal samples by means of molecular tools (DGGE,
Real-time PCR analysis) and testing must be performed on individual
strains.
